Super Sharks of the Sea
When we think of sharks we might think of large, terrifying predators that prowl the oceans, but they are some of the most misunderstood animals in the sea. There are more than 530 species of shark, ranging from the size of your hand to the size of a school bus, some are apex predators and others eat only plankton. Let us look at some of the most special species of shark.
Whale Shark
We could not make this list without including these ocean giants. Whale sharks are the largest shark, and the largest fish to live in our seas, measuring in at an average of 14 metres. Despite their size these amazing creatures don’t hunt for their food, instead they filter feed teeny tiny animals that float around in the water called plankton.
Taselled Wobbegong
Tasselled wobbegongs might not look how you image a shark to look. These frilly patterned sharks are masters of camouflage. They use this talent to hide away from their prey, sitting and waiting patiently until a fish comes nice and close… Before jumping up to grab them before they’ve even noticed they are there!
Epaulette Shark
Epaulette sharks are shallow water species found around the coasts of Australia and New Guinea. Instead of using their pectoral fins to swim around like most sharks, epaulette sharks use them to walk along the bottom of the sea floor, but this isn’t the most amazing thing about them. Epaulette sharks can also walk on land, surviving in rockpools for hours at a time!
Hammerhead Shark
How could we not include a shark with such a funny shaped head! Due to the positioning of their eyes on the either end of their heads, this species has 360° vision in the vertical plane, meaning they can always see above and below. This makes them excellent predators and able to efficiently hunt stingrays!
Thresher Shark
These sharks are easy to recognise due to their exceptionally long tail. But what is this long tail for? Thresher sharks use it to hunt for prey; after herding fish into tight shoals, they use their tail to “whip” them. This stuns the fish and means the thresher can eat them up. Thresher sharks are also known to leap out of the water!
Bull Shark
Last up we have bull sharks. This coastal species like warm tropical waters and are named for their bulky bodies. Bull sharks are amazing due to their ability to survive in freshwater as well as saltwater. They travel up rivers to give birth to their young and have been seen hundreds of miles upriver, away from the sea.
We hope you enjoyed reading about sharks. Do you have a mini marine biologist ready to start their ocean exploring journey?
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